Local Governments
The information below will be updated as Congress acts and new federal resources become available for Wisconsin communities.
Congress has passed several rounds of financial assistance and relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including most recently the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which was signed into law on March 11, 2021.
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provides emergency funding to ensure states and local governments have access to critical services. The Department of Treasury, which is overseeing the distribution of Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, has provided the following allocation information as of May 10, 2021:
- States and the District of Columbia: $195.3 billion
- Counties: $65.1 billion
- Metropolitan Cities: $45.6 billion
- Tribal Governments: $20 billion
- Territories: $4.5 billion
- Non-Entitlement Units of Local Government: $19.5 billion
Additional information and resources about Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds from the Department of Treasury, provided May 10, 2021:
Additional information and resources about Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds from the Department of Treasury, provided May 24, 2021:
- Guidance on Distribution of Funds to Non-Entitlement Units of Local Government
- Non-Entitlement Unit of Local Government Checklist for Requesting Initial Payment
- Non-Entitlement Unit of Local Government Definitional and Data Methodology
- Aggregate Allocations to States for Distribution to Non-Entitlement Units
Additionally, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 creates a new $10 billion Critical Infrastructure Projects program to provide funding to states, territories, and Tribes to carry out critical capital projects directly enabling work, education, and health monitoring, including remote options, in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Treasury will begin to accept applications for review in the summer of 2021 and will issue guidance before that date.
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How can recipient governments use relief allocations from the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds?
Recipients may use these funds to:
- Support public health expenditures, by, for example, funding COVID-19 mitigation efforts, medical expenses, behavioral healthcare, and certain public health and safety staff
- Address negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency, including economic harms to workers, households, small businesses, impacted industries, and the public sector
- Replace lost public sector revenue, using this funding to provide government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue experienced due to the pandemic
- Provide premium pay for essential workers, offering additional support to those who have and will bear the greatest health risks because of their service in critical infrastructure sectors
- Invest in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure, making necessary investments to improve access to clean drinking water, support vital wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, and to expand access to broadband internet
Within these overall categories, recipients have broad flexibility to decide how best to use this funding to meet the needs of their communities.
Where can I find allocation information?
Treasury has published detailed allocation information for the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds:
- Allocation Methodology for States (PDF)
- Allocation for States (PDF) / Allocation for States (CSV)
- Allocation Methodology for Non-Entitlement Units (Aggregate State Totals) (PDF)
- Allocation for Non-Entitlement Units (Aggregate State Totals) (PDF) / Allocation for Non-Entitlement Units (Aggregate State Totals) (CSV)
- Allocation Methodology for Territories (PDF)
- Allocation for Territories (PDF) / Allocation for Territories (CSV)
- Allocation Methodology for Counties (PDF)
- Allocation for Counties (PDF) / Allocation for Counties (CSV)
- Allocation Methodology for Metropolitan Cities (PDF)
- Allocation for Metropolitan Cities (PDF) / Allocation for Metropolitan Cities (CSV)
Additional information regarding allocations for non-entitlement units and Tribal governments may be found below.
How do eligible recipients request funding?
Eligible state, territorial, metropolitan city, county, and Tribal governments with populations over 50,000 may now request their allocation of Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds through the Treasury Submission Portal.
How do eligible non-entitlement municipalities request funding?
Eligible local governments that are classified as non-entitlement units should expect to receive this funding through the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. Non-entitlement units are typically local governments with populations less than 50,000.
I have specific questions about requesting funding as a non-entitlement unit. How do I contact the Wisconsin Department of Revenue?
- Contact DOR at: DORLocalRecoveryFunds@wisconsin.gov or (608) 266-2772
I have specific questions. How do I contact Treasury?
- For questions about the Treasury Submission Portal or for technical support, please e-mail covidreliefitsupport@treasury.gov
- For general questions about the program, please e-mail SLFRP@treasury.gov
Where can I access more information and resources about Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds?
Eligible applicants include:
- County governments
- Cities, towns and villages
- Tribal governments and organizations
- Certain private-non-profit (PNP) organizations
- Special Districts
- Institutions of higher education
- School districts
Applicants must apply for these grants through the FEMA Grants Portal. The State of Wisconsin and FEMA will then work to approve an applicant once they have submitted their request into the Portal.The local cost share for projects under this program is 12.5%. The state also covers 12.5%, while the remaining 75% is covered by FEMA.Examples of projects and activities related to COVID-19 response that are eligible for these grants include:
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Emergency protective measures
- Emergency Operation Centers
- Disinfection of eligible public facilities
- Evacuation and sheltering
- Supplies and commodities, including medical supplies, PPE, and other equipment
- Dissemination of information to the public
- Security, law enforcement, barricades and fencing
- Temporary facilities
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Administrative time spent preparing your request (5% of total award amount)
- Participating in calls/meetings
- Preparing correspondence
- Grants Portal activities
- Collecting and submitting documents
- Training
Click here to access applicant briefing materials and other resources to help you prepare and submit your grant requests. FEMA’s Public Assistance Training Section has also released a number of informational videos on the application process which are available here.
This program is a $200 million effort aimed at helping local leaders address some of their most urgent and unique COVID-19 recovery needs. Administered by the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA), Routes to Recovery Grants will be allocated to every Wisconsin county, city, village, town and federally recognized tribe. The effort is funded by $200 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act dollars and will be administered by the DOA. Of the $200 million, $10 million will be allocated to Wisconsin’s tribal nations, with the remaining funds being distributed to every Wisconsin county, city, village and town.
Routes to Recovery Grants for Wisconsin counties, cities, villages and towns will provide reimbursements for unbudgeted expenditures incurred this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, in the following categories:
- Emergency operations activities, including those related to public health, emergency services, and public safety response
- Purchases of personal protective equipment
- Cleaning/sanitizing supplies and services, including those related to elections administration
- Temporary isolation housing for infected or at-risk individuals
- Testing and contact tracing costs above those covered by existing State programs
- FMLA and sick leave for public health and safety employees to take COVID-19 precautions
- Meeting local match requirements for expenses submitted for reimbursement by FEMA, to the extent allowed by federal law
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